Maria Santirso loves understanding what makes people tick. A former psychologist, she now uses her expertise to create innovative engagement programs that tap into what’s important to Houzzers and to Houzz. As employee experience manager, Maria works behind the scenes to ensure Houzzers feel motivated to bring their best, connect with each other and contribute to our mission. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was growing up, I wanted to understand how people feel and why they behave in certain ways in certain circumstances. I became a psychologist and worked for a domestic violence program in a Spanish prison, working with males and facilitating group therapy. It was an exciting but very challenging experience. 

I grew up in a business-minded family, and I missed the excitement of being in a business environment. And I also wanted to continue working with people and teams to unlock their potential to meet their goals, which is what truly motivates me. That’s why I decided to go into Human Resources (HR) and completed my master’s degree in human resources management. I’ve worked in many different HR roles, but they’ve always centered on things like culture, performance and change. 

In both my past profession and today, I am focused on understanding behavior, how people are feeling and how we can change both.

How did you find out about Houzz?
I was at a point in my life where I was looking for a big change. I wanted to work for a global, ambitious company where I could be myself and feel aligned with the values, mission and people. I wanted to feel like I was at home, that I belonged. And then I came across Houzz on a job-search site. 

My house is my safe place, especially when I moved from Spain to the UK. It’s where I can be myself and have fun. I’ve also always been very interested in how design creates the perfect space to feel secure and comfortable. From beginning my research on Houzz to my call with the hiring manager, I knew I wanted to be part of this community in a role that combined my professional expertise with my personal interests.

What was it like for you to join a remote-first company, and what tips would you have for anyone joining one?
When you join a remote-first company, you immediately realize working this way has a lot of benefits. It’s flexible. You can save a lot of time commuting. You can organize your schedule in the way that works best for you. You have so many opportunities to work with people from completely different locations – and who work in different areas of the business – and connect with them easily. 

You also need to be aware that the things that work in the office are completely different when you work remotely. That doesn’t mean it’s better and worse; it’s just different. For example, if you’re very sociable, being around people naturally happens when you’re in the office. If you’re working remotely, it’s important to take the initiative. The connections still happen, but you need to be more proactive. You also should be more open to participating in company initiatives that create those connections. 

When you work from home, you may forget about your personal routine. It can be really easy to just roll right into work. I think it’s important that you create a wellness routine right from the very beginning. Take breaks, make time to disconnect. You need to do that to be happy and thrive in this kind of environment. 

What would you say is the best part about working here?
The people, definitely. We have a community of people that cares about the business and each other. We have open communication channels, and everybody’s always hands-on to help and collaborate. I really love that we support each other to become better professionally, and we also make time to have fun, disconnect from work, speak about our lives and connect with each other. The quality of human beings in this company is just amazing. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love working with people in a very creative role that has a direct impact on how Houzzers are feeling, connecting and showing up to work. Through the programs we design and initiatives we create, we’ve seen a real impact on employees and the company. Each department is becoming more productive, which improves performance. I love that even though my role is a small part of the organization, the impact is massive and affects every single department. 

In addition to being creative, my role is very strategic. I’m able to help shape our culture, understand what Houzzers are looking for, and create programs that improve their wellbeing and engagement with the company. 

And it’s so, so fun! For example, when I facilitate sending a Great Houzzer card on behalf of another Houzzer, I feel like Santa Claus – I am sending love to everybody! And when I see people interacting in a program like the wellness challenge and looking after their wellbeing, it really fulfills me.

This may be a hard question, but what is your favorite program you’ve worked on?
Such a difficult question – this is like asking a mom what kid she loves the most!

I can’t choose one, but I will say that when I joined Houzz, our approach to People Experience was a little bit different. We made a lot of changes and were quite brave to roll out programs that we had never done before. Implementing Houzz-e-brations in our international locations was amazing, because it was the first engagement program that was completely different from what we had done before. It was a success all around, from the people celebrating to managers and individual contributors who provided feedback. We were recognizing people, and they had fun and felt connected. I’m very proud of that. 

You’re based in London and work with colleagues in pretty much every time zone. How do you manage your day?
Each day is completely different, which can be a little bit challenging. But, for me, the joy of being remote is that I have flexibility in my role to manage my schedule. Three days a week, I work hours that are more friendly to the EMEA [Europe, Middle East, Africa] and APAC [Asia-Pacific] time zones. If I need to connect with someone in Australia or with my colleagues in Tel Aviv or Taiwan, I can do it early in the morning, which is late afternoon for them. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I tend to start a little bit later to align more with my U.S. colleagues’ schedules. I try to take a break where I can disconnect and go for a walk with my dog, Leo, and then I can work a little bit longer. 

No matter my schedule, I still make time to take my break to disconnect to have that work-life balance. Sometimes it’s not easy, but it’s important to plan and be conscious about it, especially when you are working with a global team. 

What makes you most excited about the future of Houzz?
From the customer side, I think our software is amazing. It’s a huge value to our pros, and it’s going to make a big difference in the future of the industry. Internally, I’m super excited to help shape what remote work looks like. We’re already doing a lot of great things, and I can’t wait to see how that continues to evolve. 

​​If you’re interested in joining our team, we’re hiring! Check out available opportunities at houzz.com/jobs.